Wisdom teeth are an evolutionary remnant from a time when the human diet included rough food that required more chewing power. Today, the human jaw is often too small to accommodate these teeth. As a result, when they come in, wisdom teeth can get impacted, causing infection or damage to other teeth. This is why our family dentist in Richmond, TX, urges you not to wait to get impacted teeth removed. But should you get two at a time extracted, all at once, or something in between? Let Haven Dentistry explain your options.
Benefits of Extracting All Wisdom Teeth at Once
If all your wisdom teeth are impacted, coming in incorrectly, or going to pose a risk to your other teeth or overall health, we’ll suggest getting them all removed in one extraction procedure. The benefits include:
- Reduced Recovery: Undergoing a single procedure for all four wisdom teeth minimizes the overall recovery time compared to having multiple surgeries. This means less time off from work or school.
- Reduced Cost: Dealing with all your wisdom teeth at once can be more cost-effective. You’ll combine everything into one: the procedure, any anesthesia, and follow-up visits.
- Reduced Pain: We may advocate for removing all wisdom teeth for younger patients. As the Mayo Clinic points out, younger people have less jawbone density, making extraction easier.
- Reduced Anxiety: Put simply, you might just want to get it all over with. Rather than having to deal with the stress of getting several procedures, you can go through the process and be done!
When Will a Family Dentist Not Extract All Wisdom Teeth?
There are scenarios where Haven Dentistry might opt not to remove all wisdom teeth. You may have unique health conditions that mean we should navigate your wisdom teeth situation differently. For instance, if one of your wisdom teeth is especially impacted or has a unique problem, we might want to address that first.
The opposite is also true—we might not remove your wisdom teeth if they don’t have any problems. You might assume that wisdom teeth always have to come out, but for some people, they come in without causing harm. Similarly, we might just remove the wisdom teeth that are impacted and leave the ones that are emerging safely. This cautious approach allows for personalized care, ensuring the best possible outcome while minimizing unnecessary interventions.
Snooze Through Teeth Extraction with Sedation
Family dentistry in Richmond, TX, at our office is even easier thanks to sedation. We offer oral conscious sedation at Haven Dentistry. This involves you taking a prescribed anesthetic medication about an hour before your appointment. By the time your extraction is underway, you’ll feel relaxed and may even fall asleep in the chair. This helps our team of dentists remove all your wisdom teeth in a single visit. You’ll probably have little to no memory of the procedure.
All at Once or One at a Time? Check with Haven Dentistry
Deciding whether to go for total wisdom teeth removal in Richmond, TX, should involve discussions with our family dentist about your individual needs and concerns. We’ll monitor your wisdom teeth as they come in, discuss your health history, gauge your anxiety, and then create a surgical plan that’s perfect for you. Book that custom consultation with Haven Dentistry today!
